IRISH WATER WORKERS look set to contend a decision by the company not to pay them bonuses due for work carried out last year.

It is believe that unions representing those employed by Irish Water parent company Ervia feel that terms of an agreement that was reached in 2013 are not being honoured and the issue will now be brought before the Labour Relation Commission (LRC).

Ervia, who were operating as Bord Gais Éireann at the time, agreed that the system of payment to workers would include a bonus system.

However, it was revealed last year that some workers could receive these payments even if their performances failed to reach a standard.

Speaking on RTÉ’s This Week programme earlier today, Adrian Kane, a representative from SIPTU explained why they had decided to take the action.

“This money, people had earned it. They had performed to a standard and by virtue of the agreement that we had in place the money was due and people were very angry that they didn’t receive the payment when it was due,” he said.

As to why we have taken the decision to refer the dispute to the Labour Relations Commission, there is this wider issue in terms of the pay model. In light of the company failing to honour the terms of the existing model, we are now looking to put back in place effectively what was in place before. A more orthodox and transparent incremental pay system.

Before a decision was taken by management to withhold bonus payments, staff had been set to be paid in the first months of this year for work carried out last year.

The dispute is due to go before the LRC on 13 July.

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